


Strangers with Memories

by smaragdbird



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Divorce, Kylo Ren manages to be civil, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Poe finally gets rid of his shitty ex, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Star Wars: The Last Jedi Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 19:21:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13060494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smaragdbird/pseuds/smaragdbird
Summary: Kylo is surprised to be contacted under a flag of truce by Poe and even more surprised when his estranged husband turns up alone. Not to plead for him to come home or to take his place by Kylo`s side but to ask for a divorce.Last Jedi Spoilers!!!





	Strangers with Memories

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [this ](https://tfa-kink.dreamwidth.org/5217.html?thread=11912545#cmt11912545) prompt

Poe had chosen a nice spot to meet. The park was planned around a number of elaborate fountains and flower beds with plants from all over the galaxy. It had some of Naboo’s elegance and Chandrila’s refinement. The weather was nice too, the suns shining brightly but not too hot and a light breeze rustling the leaves in the trees above. Poe was sitting on a bench overlooking the central fountain. Streams of water made elaborate patterns as it was flung into the air and fell back down into the pool. He was wearing civilian clothes as if to emphasise that he was not here in any capacity as one of the few remaining Resistance leaders.

Kylo felt self-conscious about his usual black clothes all of a sudden and the embarrassment flared up his anger. For a moment he wanted nothing more than to take his lightsaber and strike Poe down right where he was. That would resolve this matter, too.

Instead he took a breath and let the feeling pass. Instead he took the opportunity to look at Poe, properly like he hadn’t done in years. On Jakku, on the Finalizer he had deliberately kept himself from studying Poe, to keep that part of his past as separate as anything that had to do with his life as Ben Solo. 

He looked good, but then again Poe had always looked good, even when they had been teenagers, even when he had been tortured and on the brink of exhaustion. Still, it was impossible for Kylo to look at Poe and not to notice how attractive he was. As if a fairytale prince had walked off the pages and into the real world.

For a split second Kylo entertained the dream of a galaxy where Poe walked away from this at his side, where they’d rule the First Order together, rule the galaxy together. He shook his head. It was nothing more than a fantasy and one he had sworn off years ago. Just like Rey Poe would never join him. 

As he approached Poe turned his head and looked at him. His hair was still falling into his face like it had always done and Kylo wondered if it would still feel as soft if he’d run his fingers through it now. 

“I did not think you would come alone after last time”, Kylo said, standing awkwardly at the end of the bench opposite from Poe.

“You came alone”, Poe replied, seemingly unconcerned.

“You cannot think that you could possibly be a threat to me”, Kylo said, spurred on by Poe’s indifferent tone. “I could kill-“

Poe gave him a cool look. “I know. Also not why I’m here. We don’t have to do the whole song and dance, it’d be enough if you could finally sign these.” He pulled out a holo pad and opened a file. 

Divorce papers.

“We both know the man I loved is dead but legally Ben Solo is still my husband.”

Kylo sat down on the bench and took the holo documents from Poe. A part of him had known this would be what Poe wanted to resolve and yet...and yet letting go of the past was suddenly a lot harder than he wanted it to be. 

“How long have you had these?” He asked as he skimmed over the first few paragraphs. Legal matters weren’t his strong suit but these looked like simple, easy no-fault divorce papers.

“Got them about a month after you massacred your friends. Funnily enough I did not want to be married to a mass murderer.” There was a note of disdain in Poe’s voice but otherwise he was calm and collected and maybe worst of all – indifferent.

“Luke – “

“I talked to Luke”, Poe interrupted him. “Before he went into exile. I didn’t want to believe that you had really done it, that you killed all those kids.”

“He did not tell you the truth”, Kylo said because he couldn’t imagine that Luke would’ve told Poe what he had been about to do.

“He did, actually. And Rey corroborated his story.” Poe met Kylo’s eyes when he added, “Fuck I’d have understood if you had killed Luke but the others? They didn’t have to die.”

“Even my uncle thought I was a monster. I became only what everyone expected me to be.” He fingers twitched, the Force was at his command and it was almost painful to hold himself back. Of course Poe couldn’t understand.

“I didn’t”, Poe said and it felt like a punch to the teeth. He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter anymore. You’ve made your choice and I’ve made mine.”

“Why now?” Kylo demanded to know.

“You didn’t exactly leave a forwarding address when you left.”

“Is there someone else?”

“That’s none of your business.”

Which was as good of an admission that there was someone. Someone who mattered enough for Poe to risk his life coming here. Kylo wondered who it was. Rey, perhaps? She’d appeal to Poe, shared his passion for flying and conviction for the light side in all things. Or maybe it was the traitor, the one who had helped Poe escape the Finalizer. In the forest he had worn Poe’s jacket, Kylo remembered suddenly. He reached out in the Force, brushing against Poe’s mind, just skimming over his thoughts but whoever had replaced him in Poe’s life, Poe wasn’t thinking of them right now.

“Now it’d be great if you could sign them. Rey told me about your little ‘burn the past’ speech and I’d rather resolve this peacefully”, Poe continued, looking at the fountain instead of Kylo. With his legs crossed and one arm slung over the back of the bench he was the very image of casual disinterest. 

Kylo could’ve forced himself into Poe’s mind like he had done before. He could take him back with him against Poe’s will and break his mind until Poe would accept him as he was. He could take his lightsaber and maim or kill him with one strike. 

What he could not do was gain genuine emotions from Poe. No love, no hate, there was nothing there but indifference. He was Poe’s enemy, true, but it was nothing personal. To Poe they were strangers with memories, nothing more.

He scrolled to the end of the divorce papers and signed without reading the rest of them. He handed the data pad to Poe and tried not to feel anything when their fingers brushed for a moment. Poe put it into his bag and stood up. He looked over his shoulder at Kylo, breathtakingly beautiful framed in sunlight and said, “I hope we’ll never see each other again. Goodbye.”

“If we do, I’ll make it quick”, Kylo called after him. His words made Poe slow as he walked away and for one moment it looked as if he was going to turn around and say something, anything, but in the end he didn’t. He walked away and Kylo let him. There was nothing left to say between them.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me [ here](http://smaragdbird.tumblr.com/) on tumblr


End file.
